Before the use of gas lighting and electricity in homes, evenings were spent quietly chatting or telling stories around the hearth, or, in some places, retiring for the night as soon as the sun set. But with the advent of better indoor lighting, daytime activities spilled over into the evenings. Businesses stayed open later; social gatherings, family game nights and storytelling could last into the wee hours of the night.
Although indoor lighting was a revolutionary invention, mankind has seemingly forgotten certain natural instincts. Rachel Bearn’s “A Year to Slow Down: A Christian Guide to Embracing Handmade & Homegrown” reminds readers that it’s okay to not chase after every rainbow, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time.
Coming Out of the Dark
At the young age of 24, Britain-based Bearn was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). This chronic disease affects the nervous and immune system and is marked by profound fatigue and pain. Even the most minor physical and mental exertions can lead to prolonged suffering. This led Bearn to develop clinical depression.
Bearn became angry at herself and at God; she couldn’t understand why God couldn’t just heal her. She had to quit her job and soon became housebound because of the pain. For one who loved reading, she couldn’t even escape into a good book as she would constantly lose her place and reread a sentence without fully understanding what she was reading.
Over time, she realized she needed to make money to sustain herself. She resuscitated a childhood love for knitting. Once she rediscovered how much she still enjoyed this childhood hobby, she tried other ideas and activities she could do at home—despite her aches and pains. In working with her hands through crafting and, later, cooking, and by digging her fingers into soil while gardening, she crawled out of her depression.
She started a journey into this “handmade, homegrown, and slow life.”
Life and Living
In writing this book, Bearn drew heavily from her own personal experience. To keep the message positive and uplifting, she didn’t dwell too long on the suffering she experienced with her illness. She was adamant that the book shouldn’t only be for those experiencing chronic illness. It’s for anyone experiencing dark days, including anyone feeling lost or depressed. She wrote: “Slow living is something we can all incorporate into our everyday lives.”
In the book, Bearn references lines from Scripture, quotes from reputable authors, and scientific studies where relevant.
Take, for example, her advice to ensure a day of rest. “A Year to Slow Down” connects this with the Bible account of God resting on the seventh day after creating the world. The book also cites a scientific experiment that extended the week to 10 days and “essentially accepted that a seven-day week, with at least one day of rest, is necessary for human life to thrive.”
Bearn then connected this idea with New York Times best-selling author John Mark Comer’s book called “Garden City: Work, Rest and the Art of Being Human.” She quoted: “So, on the Sabbath, we don’t just take a day off from work; we take a day off from toil. We give him all our fear and anxiety and stress and worry. We let go.”
From these theoretical insights, she then gives a practical, simple plan for how this day of rest may be achieved. That day of rest need not be on a Sunday, but any day one chooses. From planning meals ahead of time to shifting house chores to another day, it’s important to use this day to either spend time with family or a day of reflection—and just rest.
The ‘Seasonal’ Approach
Organized according to the seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—the book also includes the holidays that fall under each respective season. After all, it’s easy to get lost in the busyness and stress that comes with Christmas, Easter, and even during Lent. She presents suggestions that can help readers focus more on the reason for the holiday than the celebrations themselves.
She wrote, “Making with our hands … helps to slow down life, to take us back to the simple actions of moving our hands to create something that is unique, beautiful and cherished.” In keeping with this, she shares her recipes for making beeswax candles and lavender soap for winter. For spring, she imparts some gardening tips for beginners and a plan for making an Easter garden. In the summer, she encourages readers to try their hand at foraging, and autumn is a good time to make simple tomato sauce from the backyard produce.
Readers don’t need to start from the beginning of the book. Depending on what season they are in, they can start at that section. It’s a great motivator for those who need to wind down from a very hectic life and, best of all, enjoy the fruits of their labors.
‘A Year To Slow Down: A Christian Guide to Embracing Handmade & Homegrown’
By Rachel Bearn
Form Books: Nov. 4, 2025
Hardcover, 200 pages
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